cost'd from p.

"his was not as meaningful an exchange as it could have been, once arain for lack of planning. Similarly the GAA failed to get together an endorsement sheet for the election. This is an aspect that will have to be more carefully handled for the lovember general election.

A more specifically cay issue has been the boycott on Dante's Inferno, a west side gay bar that has recently ceased being responsive to its custamers as individual gays. The fin ancial backing of the bar has passed

into straight hands, and their verbal abuse of gays patronizing the bar has rone beyond that which may be bourne. rink prices have escalated, and the arbitrary cover charres and admission policies are inacceptable. At the First GMA dance (held there a month aro) a straight women was severely tearen be our on, and

talen

13 vote

it silverains in

orce.

as

list for ell. the area ay bars subsequently been preparen by the xecutive Board, and the responses of the manerements of each of the bars will be collected and made available to Cleveland Cars. This seems to be a rational aner in which handle vie opios of ca 11fe, which is a relse Indispensible part until such time as an alternative community center is established.

Which brings us to the most significant failure of Cleveland GAA to iate. We have had several commit-. ments, but each has fallen through for various good reasons. This is a project of the first priority, and the Board is currently working on a new scheme to open such a center.

An office is also a prime requisite; it is becoming totally unfeasble to continue to work out of a private apartment. Establishing an office would also permit a counseling line to be manned 24-hours-a-day.

The counseling program is also in the works. Cleveland GAA is investigeting grants of federal money in order to set up on-going programs of established para-professional competence. The organization is working

Columbus GAA

1739 N. High St., Box 3 Columbus, Ohio 43210 (614)422-9212

meetings: Wed. at 8

currently with Cleveland Psychiatric Hospital to counsel hospitalized Cayo. This pilot program is expected to be expanded in the near future. We feel that it is best to work within estab1ished community channels such as the free medical clinics and drop-in centers in order to provide "grass-roots"

service.

Ile

Rev. Robert Hamilton has founded his Celebration of Life, a ministry dealing with sexual orientations. mans a gay counseling referral office in the Free Medical Clinic (the oldeat and most successful of the people's clinic in Cleveland).

Primarily, the difficulties Cleveland GAA has experienced over these months are the same ones plaguing each gay chapter in the country Oppression canes and ego trips. These insure energies are wasted and that program activities are not carried. through to their most effective conclusion. Men and women admittedly have to learn to relate with one another, and the struggles have been. bitter and difficult. It should be a simple matter to investigate why feelinge of oppression are arising and to analyze them so they may be eliminated, instead of simply screaming "Oppression!"

These relating problems could be largely eliminated by sponsoring more purely social evento, so that men and women can simply get together and

have fun. Summer time is an excellent time for in and frolic, and picnics and parties are already in the works.

So, where do we go from here? We expand our counseling service; we establish a community center; we open an office; and publish a bi-weekly newsletter. And we have fun together getting shit together to progress "richt (as they say) on.

11

OBJECTIVES

CLEVELAND GAA: A 12-point Program

1 To educate people about homosexuality.

2.

4.

To help establish gay pride among the gay society of Cleveland.

3. To help gays adjust to their choice of being gay as normal and respectable members of today's changing society. To set up a mutual need and protection alliance for gays against discrimination and harassment. To set up a. alternate social structure for gays as opposed to strictly segregated bars and baths that tend to demoralize gays.

5.

6. To latent gays adjust to their chosen way of life through psychological counseling and sensitivity sessions.

PERSONALLY, I THINK YOU'RE JUST MAKING EXQUES BECAUS you DON'T WANT TO WORK!

WELL

Lavender Starship/Page 9/May 10, 1972

7.

8.

To help instruct the established straight society as to the homosexual's place in today's society.

To help reinforce gay pride and social understanding through gay participation in establishing straight society outlets. 9. To help bring about changes in archaic laws which discriminate and donoralize cays:

10.

11.

12.

a. By setting up a Legal Aid for Gays;

b. By canvassing political leaders to change anti-homosexual laws;

c. By instructing gays of their rights under the law as membere of society;

d. By forming a gay voting block to bring about needed change. To help bring about a better understanding between gays and religious leaders of our society. To form a responsible social organization prepared to give guidance and example to all gays and other concerned people. To set up a governing structure in our newly founded liberation movement that will be able to devote full-time activity to our gay movement by:

a. Establishing a 24-hour hotline;

b. Organizing all social events and other related activities of the organization;

c. Preparing a bi-weekly newsletter for all members; d. Establishing committees to accomplish the goals and purposes of the movement; 2. Establishing a Speakers'

Eureau to eddress all other concerned groups and organizations.

cont'd from p. 5

interested in group sessions than we have time or staff members to handle. But the growth of this ministry has been extremely exciting. As the advertisement goes, "We've come a long way!"

cont. from page 1

than ourselves.

Gay liberation is not for straights unless they also wish to liberate themselves from their confining sex "roles." Gay Liberation is for us, and for all people who reject such role-playing. To the extent that Gay Liberation becomes socially respectable, it surrenders its revolutionary potential. Respectability is the kiss of death. Respectability is 200 middle-aged Shriners in go-karts, rooting around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in quest of the guilded truffles of social approbation. Gay Liberation should aim not for social respectability, but for social inevitability.

The half-life is for atoms--and for Gays who choose to relate a Balfself to a half-world.

The closet is for brooms--and for Gays who are willing to sweep their own lives under the rug.

The closet is for clothes--and for Gays who want to continue hanging themselves up.

Come out.